Noting that many rich signatories to the Kyoto Protocol - an international climate change treaty - have missed their emissions-cutting targets, Ahluwalia said the developing world wanted stronger support to help them reach environmental goals.

Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-chairman of the Chinese national development and reform commission, told the same meeting that while China was committed to using energy more efficiently, the main burden for fighting global warming lay with Western powers.

"Apart from our own efforts we expect developed countries to play a more fundamental role."